The present invention relates generally to a bowling alley, and more particularly, to a system of bumpers that allows for a greater number of variants of the standard game of bowling to be played.
Bowling is an ancient game. Archaeologists have traced its development through various forms by reference to artifacts dating date back many thousands of years. In recent times, the game's evolution has achieved a standardized form, in which a ball weighing generally between 10 and 16 pounds is rolled down an alley or lane of standardized size towards a set of ten pins arrayed in a fixed configuration. Straddling each side of the bowling lane is a channel-like gutter. In conventional "regulation" bowling, points are scored by knocking down pins; when a ball rolls into the gutter, it becomes a so-called "gutter ball," and no points are earned.
Because of the physical strength necessary to play standard bowling, those with physical impairments or who are otherwise lacking in coordination or strength (e.g., due to handicap or age) may experience the frustration of playing an entire game of ten frames without having knocked down a single pin. This can be especially frustrating to children, who may not have the strength and coordination necessary to play the game.
In response to this problem, numerous systems of "bumper" bowling have been developed. These generally involve placing some sort of bumper or other occluding member in the gutters so that each ball bowled inevitably results in at least some pins being knocked down.
In some systems, bumpers are permanently affixed to the gutters, thereby preventing anyone from playing a game of regulation bowling on the lane. Other systems allow for the removal of "temporary" bumpers from the gutters, through what is generally a laborious process. Another example of a bumper system is provided by U.S. Pat. No. 3,401,933 to Conklin et al. (the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference). In this device, a pivoting concave cylindrical section is provided along a length of gutter. When in the retracted position, the cylindrical section acts as a standard gutter, enabling the lane to accommodate standard bowling. The patent teaches a complex set of linkages and actuators for raising the curved cylindrical section to a height and orientation at which its raised edge will prevent a ball from leaving the lane prior to striking any pins. This edge is provided with a switch for detecting when a ball has made contact with the raised section. The structure shown is complex and expensive to build and maintain, and does not appear to have won widespread acceptance. Furthermore, this device does not appear to be able to flexibly accommodate other variants of the game of bowling.
There remains a need for a system of bumpers that is inexpensive to make, simple to install and maintain, and which has greater flexibility in the range of games that may be played than has been the case.